MLB Player News

Rice has hit like a cleanup man with his .267/.348/.567 line to date. Verdugo has been swinging like a No. 9 hitter, but maybe the change will be nice; he was a solid leadoff man for Boston last year. The problem for the Yankees right now is that Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Rice are the team’s only semi-regulars with even .310 OBPs.

It took a couple weeks for baseball’s top prospect to find his stride, but Griffin has been excellent in the early portion of May, hitting .294/.351/.471 with one homer, seven RBI and three steals across 13 contests during that span. The 20-year-old prodigy has the raw talent to eventually develop into a five-category fantasy force, but it may not happen this season. Context matters. Griffin is holding his own in the majors at an age when most of his peers are still in the lower minors or playing in college. His time as a perennial first-round fantasy selection is coming.

Cruz’s strong performance got lost in the process of teammate Brandon Lowe slugging two homers while Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber went deep for the ninth time in his last eight games. The 27-year-old power/speed combo threat is two steals behind José Ramírez and Nasim Nuñez for the big-league lead in the stolen base department this season. He’s still striking out a ton, but some strides against left-handed pitching have helped make his batting average a bit more palatable than last year’s abysmal .200 mark.

There’s no publicly available Statcast data from this contest, but Hader said afterwards that he felt good physically and was trying to work on his slider in this latest rehab appearance. The 32-year-old closer appears close to returning to Houston’s bullpen after missing the start of the year recovering from a biceps issue. There should be a definitive timetable for his season debut from the Astros at some point soon. He’s close.

Peña returned to action after sitting out a couple rehab contests earlier this week following an on-field collision that left him dealing with neck soreness. The 28-year-old shortstop played Friday’s entire game at shortstop and should be ready to return to Houston at some point next week. He’s likely to get a couple additional games under his belt this weekend prior to being activated.

Marte isn’t hitting for a ton of over-the-fence power with just four homers in 26 games, but he’s hitting .365 since being demoted to Triple-A back on April 13. The 24-year-old former top prospect’s path to fantasy relevance continues to be blocked by Cincinnati’s logjam at several spots at the highest level, especially with both Spencer Steer and JJ Bleday playing well. It’s possible injuries or ineffectiveness create a pathway to at-bats later this summer. He seemingly has nothing to prove playing everyday on the doorstep of the majors.

Holliday played the entire contest at third base as he continues to ramp up after dealing with some hand discomfort a few weeks ago coming off surgery to repair a hamate fracture. The 22-year-old former top prospect figures to be ready to make his season debut by the end of May or early June.

Nothing official from the Dodgers after Snell landed on the injured list prior to Friday’s scheduled start against the Angels with an elbow injury. The 33-year-old southpaw spent the first seven weeks of the season working his way back from offseason shoulder issues. It’s worth noting that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism that Snell would pitch again this season, but that’s hardly a lock. He can be safely dropped in shallow fantasy formats where roster spots are at a premium. It’ll likely be former top pitching prospect River Ryan taking his rotation spot next week.

Hernández will need a bit of an extended rehab assignment since he’s been on the shelf recovering from last year’s elbow issue since spring training wrapped up. The 34-year-old super-utility specialist should be ready to make his season debut before the end of May.

Ryan hit triple digits six times and topped out at 100.9 mph in his first minor-league start since April 11. He averaged 98.6 mph on his four-seam fastball and generated nine swinging strikes during the 53-pitch outing. The fact that his fastball velocity is back to pre-Tommy John surgery levels is an extremely encouraging sign. The 27-year-old former top pitching prospect hasn’t toed the rubber in the big leagues since 2024. Blake Snell unexpectedly landing on the injured list, and facing a lengthy absence, makes him the logical choice to step into Los Angeles’ six-man rotation and gives him immediate fantasy appeal as a viable streaming option. He could potentially get the ball next Friday against the Brewers.

Ramos was replaced by Casey Schmitt in left field after looking uncomfortable during a sixth-inning at-bat. The 26-year-old finished 1-for-3 at the dish prior to exiting. Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters afterwards that the injury occurred while Ramos went all-out trying to make a play defensively. It’s unclear whether he’ll undergo imaging in addition to further evaluation and treatment. It doesn’t sound like a potential injured list situation, but fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status for the rest of the weekend.